Notes From Patmos 07.17

Good morning all:

A few weeks ago I had to take a funeral in Meridian, and that offered me the opportunity to wander and walk around a bit taking photographs and visiting places from my past.  Meridian has some really wonderful buildings, and many of them are described as Art Deco (the Three Foot building being the finest example).  One such building is the Water Pumping Station- it was beautifully designed and carefully thought out to be beautiful and to ‘show off’ the fact the the town had running water during a time when running and clean water was not taken for granted.  It was built to add to the beauty of the city.  Laurel has many of the same type of buildings from her past.  Designed to be admired and looked on in wonderful and appreciation.  Our parish is a great example of that- it was designed in such a way that upon entering you know you are somewhere holy… from the outside it is stately and beautiful and draws people in.  The same could be said of standards of dress back in the day- designed to put our best foot forward, have a modicum of decorum, and help enhance our states of being, by taking pride and great care with ourselves, and conversely with those whom we come into contact with. 

Many buildings now are sheet metal and have a lifespan (in accounting and insurance) of around 25 years and are built for function and cost savings.  Our dress now has also changed to more of a function over form, and generally, we aren’t as concerned with grace and beauty and putting our best foot forward as we are with comfort and function (writes he who is wearing a Saint John’s golf shirt as he writes). 

But it’s hard not to contemplate these things in the shadow of an attempted assignation of a former president and all of the hateful, inhuman, destructive commentary.  I preached on this Sunday a bit, but I have tried, and can’t go a day without pundits, and the general populus of America calling Biden and Trump idiots and worse.  We, collectively, have lost respect for all lot of things, and everything is on the table to be ripped apart, shredded, and set on fire. 

While this is not about trying to change architecture, or a plea to dress after the manner of decades gone by, it is a plea to everyone to contemplate what is going on, and the loss of humanity and respect and dignity.  Calling everyone idiots (my safe word for worse things), and tearing each other apart is not of God… it doesn’t help anything, and it tears at the fabric of society.  We are called to be in the world and not of the world. Prayerfully consider what that means in your own life.  We are called as lovers of Jesus to point people heavenward, to help create a godly society, and spread compassion, mercy and reason.  A spiritual exercise- pay attention to your words and actions… do they build up and point people to God and help spread the things of God, or do they demean others and cause disrepair and divides that can’t be filled.  It is not a hard case to make that modern America is coming unglued and hate, bitterness, lack of reason and discourse has a solid foothold.  Don’t give in to these things… be beacons of hope, light, mercy and civility. In a world that is hell bent on devoring itself- be beauty, be hope, be mercy, shine with the love of Jesus.

See you all around the parish,

Jeff+